Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-10-31
temperance.
Two Sides OF One Canvass.

One beautiful afternoon in August
there came to me the heart-brOken
wife of state-prison convict. We
tried to plan for his pardon and res
toration to home. 1t was very
sad case. He was the only son of
a very noble man-one who lived
only to serve the poor, the tempted
and the criminal. All he had, all
ne was, he gave unreservedly to help
thieves and drunkards. His house
was their home his name their bail
to save them from prison; his re-
ward. their reformation. 1t was a
happy hour to hear him tell of the
hundreds he had shielded from the
contamination and evil example Of
prisons, and of the large proportion
he had reason to believe he had per
manently saved. Out of hundreds,
he told me, only two left him to pay
their bail, forfeited by neglect to
show themselves IN court according
to agreement-only two
Bred under such a roof, the son
started in life with generous heart,
noble dreams and high purposes.
Ten years of prosperity, fairly earned
by energy, industry and character,
often ended in bankruptcy in our
risky and changing trade; then came
a struggle for business, for bread
temptation-d pair intemperance.
He could not safely pass the open
doors that tempted to indulgence,
fogetfulness and crime. How hard
his wife wrought to save him from
indulgence and shield him from eN-
posture How long wife, sister and
friends labored to avert conviction,
and the state-prison. IL wouLa
spare him gladly wrote the prose
cutting attorney, ''if he would only
stop drinking. He shall never %
to prison if he will be a sober man.
But all this wretchedness and crime
comes from rum"
Manfullv did the young man
struggle to resist the appetite. Again
and again did he promise and keep
his promises a month and then fall.
He could not walk the streets and
earn his bread soberly while so many
open doors-opened by men who
sought to coin gold out of their
neighbors' vices-lured him to in
diligence. SO, rightfully the state
pressed on and he went to prison.
An honored name was disgraced, a
loving home broken up, a wide cir
Gle of kindred sorelv panied, wor-
thy, well-meaning man wrecked.
Sorrow and crime ''all comes Of
rum" said the keen-sighted lawyer.
As parted from the sad wife on
my doorstep 1 looked beyond, and
close by the laughing sea stood a
handsome cottage. The grounds
were laid out extensively and with
great taste. Over the broad piazza
hung lazilv an Eastern hammock,
while all around were richly painted
chairs and lounges of very easy and
tempting form. Overhead were
quaint vases of beautiful flowers, and
the delicious lawn was bordered with
them. On the lawn itself gaiiy-
dressed women laughed merrily over
croquet, and noisy children played
near. \ span of superb horses
paved the earth impatientlv at the
gate, while gay salutatiOns passed
between the croquet players and the
fashionable equipages that rolled by.
1t was a very comfortable home as
we'll rs luXuriant one. Nature,
taste and wealth had done their best
1t was a scene of beauty, comfort,
taste, luxury and wealth. All came
from rum. The owner was one who,
in a great city, coined his wealth out
of the vices of his fellow men.
To me it was a dissolving view. |
lost sight of the gay women, the frol-
icsome children. the impatient horses
and the ocean rolling up to the lawn.
i saw instead the pale convict in his
cell, twelve feet by nine: the sad
wife going from judge to attorney,
from court to governors council,
begging mercy for her over-tempted
husband. / heard above the chill
dren's noise, the croquet, laugh, and
the surf's waves, that lawyers stern
reason for exacting the full penalty
of the law-''All this comes from
rum - UOiee